Caregiver who stole from disabled men gets prison time

A Justice woman who looted the checking accounts of the developmentally disabled men she was supposed to be helping was sentenced today to 40 months in prison.

Linda Cottrell, 37, cried and said she was deeply ashamed before DuPage County Judge Kathryn Creswell imposed the sentence. Cottrell, who had no prior record, had pleaded guilty last year to one count of financial exploitation of a disabled person.

She committed the thefts over a three-year period while she was employed as house manager at Cupertino House, a Warrenville assisted-living facility that teaches everyday living skills to mentally retarded adult men, according to prosecutors.

Cottrell took almost $9,000 from five residents by making numerous cash withdrawals with their bank cards, authorities said.

“Every single time the defendant used a resident's ATM card, she committed a crime,” Creswell said. “The conduct is unconscionable. It’s outrageous.”